Russia sends military trainers, arms to Niger

Russia has sent a group of military trainers and air defense systems to Niger, few days after Niamey ended military cooperation with the US.

Niger has aligned itself with Moscow since a coup, that followed the example of neighboring Mali and Burkina Faso. The three coup-hit Sahel states have expelled French troops and bolstered ties with Moscow.

Broadcaster Tele Sahel showed a Russian transport plane arriving at Niamey airport, as it reported late on Thursday that “the latest military equipment and military instructors” from Russia’s Ministry of Defense had landed in the capital.

“We are here to train the Nigerien army to use the military equipment that is here,” one of the Russian trainers said in French in the broadcast. “We are here to develop military cooperation between Russia and Niger.”

State-run Radio Television du Niger said on its Facebook page that 100 Russian military instructors had arrived in Niamey.

Niger has yet to ask the US troops to leave the country. Some 1000 US soldiers are stationed in Niger where the US has a drone base.